BETC season 6: Rebeck, Margulies and ‘Oscar Wilde’

Jamie Horton in the Denver Center Theatre Company's 'Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde.' It will be produced next year by the Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company in collaboration with the University of Colorado-Boulder.

The Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company has announced its sixth season, featuring regional premieres by Theresa Rebeck, Donald Margulies and a collaborative staging of “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde,” with the University of Colorado-Boulder.

April 19-May 5, 2011: “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde” (with the University of Colorado-Boulder)

The season, play-by-play: (descriptions provided by BETC)
“Mauritius”
By Theresa Rebeck
Oct. 14-29, 2011
In this regional premiere, a simple sale turns dangerous as two estranged sisters and three seedy collectors battle over a pair of rare stamps that could be worth a fortune … if they turn out to be real. “Mauritius” is a mystery that unearths the sacrifices we are willing to make and the lengths we will go in the pursuit of our passions.

Producing ensemble director Stephen Weitz: “We’re kicking off Season 6 with a regional premiere from one of America’s best writers. Theresa Rebeck has crafted a wonderfully taut drama about stamp collecting, of all things. This story twists and turns like a classic mystery as the five characters jockey for position and a possible fortune. Who knew stamp collecting was a life-and-death proposition?”

Geoff Kent will return for a third time in 'The SantaLand Diaries'

“The SantaLand Diaries”
By Davis Sedaris, adapted by Joe Mantello
Nov. 30-Dec. 24, 2011
BETC returns once more to this irreverent comic tale detailing David Sedaris’ real-life experience working as an Elf at the Macy’s department story SantaLand display. This antidote to the traditional Christmas show returns for a third holiday season at BETC.

Stephen Weitz: ” ‘SantaLand’ is fast becoming a tradition in Boulder. We’ve been turning people away the last two years, so we felt it was only right to give them another shot at it. With (actor) Geoffrey Kent returning as our velvet-clad hero, it’s sure to be anything but a ‘Silent Night.’ ”
“Shipwrecked! An Entertainment: The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself)”
By Donald Margulies
February 10-25, 2011
In this regional premiere, the adventurous Louis de Rougemont invites you to hear his amazing story of bravery, survival and celebrity that left nineteenth-century England spellbound. Featuring tempests and battles, pearl divers and sea turtles (and a bit with a dog), Shipwrecked examines how far we’re willing to blur the line between fact and fiction in order to leave our mark on the world.

Stephen Weitz: “This show is the epitome of everything we try to do here at BETC: A wonderful story of adventure and discovery, told in a style that only theater can truly convey. Part-Robinson Crusoe, part-reality show, this is sure be a fun ride for patrons of all ages. ‘Shipwrecked’ will also be featured as our student matinee series, continuing the success we had with last season’s ‘Crime and Punishment.’ ”

“Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde”
By Moises Kaufman
April 19th – May 5th, 2011
Produced in partnership with the University of Colorado Boulder’s
Department of Theatre and Dance
In three short months, Oscar Wilde, the most celebrated playwright and wit of Victorian England, was toppled from the apex of British society into humiliation and ruin. Drawing from trial documents, newspaper accounts, and writings of the key players, Moises Kaufman ignites an incendiary mix of sex and censorship, with a cast of characters ranging from George Bernard Shaw to Queen Victoria herself.

Stephen Weitz: “I’ll never forget the first time I saw this show in New York. The amazing story of one of the world’s greatest writers touches not only on issues of sexuality, but also on the very nature of art and how it defines the culture we live in. We are so excited to be teaming with the Department of Theatre and Dance at CU-Boulder in a collaboration that should be valuable to all involved.”